This disclosure relates to systems, devices, methods, and related computer program products for smart buildings including the smart home. More particularly, this patent specification relates to devices that use ultrasonic acoustic signals.
Some homes today are equipped with smart home networks to provide automated control of devices, appliances and systems, such as heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (“HVAC”) systems, lighting systems, alarm systems, and home theater and entertainment systems. In some scenarios, one or more devices may have power constraints, network limitations, or constraints on available communication types. Thus, some devices with power constraints or other limitations (e.g., available communication types) may be constrained to use relatively low power networks or communication types. However, these relatively low power connections may have constraints (e.g., unidirectional communication) that interfere with complete connectivity between the devices. Furthermore, other devices that are to connect to the one or more devices may only have hardware (e.g., radios) to communicate using a select (e.g., 802.15) communication type.
Moreover, some of these devices may include hazard detectors that alarm. In some scenarios, these hazard detectors may alarm when critical events are detected. To hush these alarms, physical contact with the alarming device is often required, but such contact may be difficult when the placement of the device is beyond typical user reach.